1. Riley Rose is powered by online beauty preferences

Riley Rose by Linda and Esther Chang, US

Riley Rose by Linda and Esther Chang, US

Riley Rose by Linda and Esther Chang, US

US – Riley Rose, the new beauty concept store from Linda and Esther Chang – the daughters of Forever 21’s founders – combines a physical shop with the power of digital to offer products chosen by the consumer. The store will stock about 200 brands, including around 80 from the beauty sector, as well as home décor and accessories.

Products will be on rotation based on their popularity, lending the store an element of discovery and peer-to-peer recommendations offered by Instagram. ‘We felt there was a [gap] in the market for a beauty and lifestyle brand that really catered for our generation, the Millennials as well as Generation Z,’ Linda told Racked.

For more on how brands can appeal to digitally minded beauty consumers, see our Teen Beauty Market report.

2. Virtual reality experience fades when ignored

I Never Promised You a Garden by Mélanie Courtinat for École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne, Switzerland

I Never Promised You a Garden by Mélanie Courtinat for École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne, Switzerland

I Never Promised You a Garden by Mélanie Courtinat for École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne, Switzerland

Switzerland – Artist Mélanie Courtinat has created a virtual reality (VR) experience as part of the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne degree show, which immerses users in a lush outdoor environment. I Never Promised You a Garden invites visitors to ‘walk among fantastic plants and make them bloom with a light brush of the hand’. The results are projected on to a surrounding screen in the exhibition space in real time, enabling visitors to participate in the experience vicariously.

If the VR headset is left unattended, the garden begins to fade away, encouraging other visitors to revive the scene. The piece was designed as a response to the isolating nature of VR and explores its potential as a collaborative platform. For more see our Virtual Reality Market report.

3. Float extends yacht access to aspiring luxurians

Global – Float is a new app that enables aspiring luxurians to rent a yacht by the day. Users can reserve a seat on a yacht for $88 ($116, €99) or opt to charter a boat.

The company aims to differentiate itself from other luxury rental services through its seamless booking system. Users select an option through the app and a boarding pass is immediately sent to their Apple Wallet. Champagne and canapés are included in the experience, and a concierge service enables users to book a restaurant from the comfort of their yacht. At present, the service covers Saint-Tropez and Monaco, and the brand plans to expand to cover Miami later this year.

In The Future Laboratory’s Luxury Futures Index we explore what luxury means to consumers across five stages, with Stage One luxurians favouring traditional expressions of luxury.

Float app

4. Teddy bear brought to life with augmented reality

Parker by Seedling, US

US – Children’s start-up Seedling recently launched Parker, a soft toy bear that can be enhanced using Apple’s new ARKit. After downloading the Parker app, children can hold a smartphone or an iPad up to the bear for an immersive experience in which they play games such as becoming the bear’s doctor and examining its bones and internal organs.

Through augmented reality, Seedling offers children an expansive playtime experience without cameras or other embedded electronics that would threaten the children’s privacy. ‘We are taking old-school physical toys and bridging them with new technologies in a way that is gentle and safe to create meaningful experiences for families,’ said Phoebe Hayman, co-founder and CEO of Seedling.

For more on how parents are harnessing the power of technology to assist them in parenthood, see our Parenting Marketing report.

5. Organic foods are an opportunity for private-label retailers

Once the preserve of specialist grocers, organic products are now increasingly available at regular supermarkets and discount stores. Together with mass merchandisers, these low-cost food retailers now account for 25% of all organic produce sold in the US, according to Nielsen. As explored in The American Middle macrotrend, brands are increasingly aware of the dangers of ostracising lower-income households, and are offering good-quality produce at more affordable prices. Own-brand retailers could help with this as private-label organic items in the US are 18% cheaper than branded products on average, according to Nielsen.

6. Thought-starter: Could your brand create a safe space?

Generation Z are creating safe spaces
out of frustration at a lack of representation of women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ people, finds senior journalist Maks Fus Mickiewicz.

A huge issue with sexual harassment is evident in mainstream
club culture. A new study by Drinkaware and YouGov among adults aged 18–24 found that 79% of women said they expected inappropriate comments, touching and behaviour to take place when they went out, either to themselves or to their female friends.

In tandem, there is growing social media fatigue. An Ofcom survey found that 15m UK internet users had undertaken a digital detox in a bid to strike a healthier balance between technology and life beyond the screen. ‘All of our BBZ crew knew each other online, but nobody connected in real life,’ explains Tia
Simon-Campbell, co-founder of gay nightlife community BBZ.

Generation Z now wants to move beyond simple surface interactions
and meet in clubs where they do not feel fetishised or tokenised.